The Shopify Store Setup Checklist (Before You Go Live)

Most launch mistakes are preventable. Run through this checklist before you remove your store's password — and save yourself from the problems we see on almost every new store we review.

Domain and technical setup

• →[ ] Custom domain connected (not the .myshopify.com URL)
• →[ ] SSL certificate active (look for HTTPS in the browser — Shopify handles this automatically)
• →[ ] Favicon uploaded (the small icon in browser tabs — Settings → Store details)
• →[ ] Google Analytics 4 property connected (Settings → Customer events)
• →[ ] Meta Pixel installed if running Facebook/Instagram ads
• →[ ] Google Search Console set up and sitemap submitted (yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml)

Store settings

• →[ ] Store name, contact email, and address accurate (Settings → Store details)
• →[ ] Currency and units correct for your market (Settings → Store details)
• →[ ] Legal pages created and linked in footer: Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Refund Policy, Shipping Policy
• →[ ] Spam filter contact email updated (Settings → Notifications — make sure order notifications go to a real email you read)

Products

• →[ ] All products have titles, descriptions, and prices
• →[ ] All products have at least 3 high-quality images (no blurry or poorly lit photos)
• →[ ] Products organized into logical collections with collection descriptions
• →[ ] Inventory tracked (stock quantities entered)
• →[ ] SEO titles and meta descriptions filled in for top products and collection pages
• →[ ] Product handles (URLs) are clean and descriptive (no /products/untitled-product)

Navigation

• →[ ] Main navigation menu is logical (no more than 6 top-level items)
• →[ ] Footer navigation includes policy pages and contact
• →[ ] 404 page tested — Shopify has a default but make sure it's not jarring
• →[ ] Search bar is visible and functional

Checkout

• →[ ] Test purchase completed with a real card (Settings → Payments → Test mode first, then real)
• →[ ] Order confirmation email received and looks professional (Settings → Notifications → Order confirmation)
• →[ ] Shipping calculated correctly at checkout for your primary markets
• →[ ] Payment methods visible: at minimum card + PayPal
• →[ ] No checkout redirects or errors on mobile

Shipping

• →[ ] Shipping zones cover the countries you're selling to
• →[ ] Rates are accurate (test with a test product in cart — do the shipping costs look right?)
• →[ ] Free shipping threshold configured if you offer it
• →[ ] Packaging weight and dimensions entered for products (if using carrier-calculated rates)

Email flows (before launch, not after)

• →[ ] Email marketing app installed (Klaviyo recommended)
• →[ ] Abandoned checkout flow active and tested
• →[ ] Welcome email set up for new subscribers
• →[ ] Order confirmation email customized with your branding

Mobile

• →[ ] Homepage loads in under 4 seconds on mobile (test with Google PageSpeed Insights)
• →[ ] All product images display correctly on phone screens
• →[ ] Add to cart and checkout work on iOS Safari and Android Chrome
• →[ ] Navigation menu works on mobile
• →[ ] Footer visible and links functional on mobile

Social and trust

• →[ ] Social media links in footer go to real, active accounts
• →[ ] At least a handful of product reviews visible (if you have a pre-launch beta customer group, ask them to review before going live)
• →[ ] Trust badges visible on product pages (SSL seal, payment icons, money-back guarantee if you offer it)
• →[ ] About page written and published

Go-live

• →[ ] Store password removed (Online Store → Preferences → scroll to Password protection → uncheck 'Restrict access')
• →[ ] Test the store URL from a different browser or incognito window as a first-time visitor
• →[ ] Place one more test order from incognito mode to confirm the full customer experience

After launch (week 1)

• →[ ] Monitor Shopify analytics daily — traffic sources, conversion rate, cart abandonment rate
• →[ ] Check Google Search Console for crawl errors (takes a few days to populate after launch)
• →[ ] Send launch announcement email to any pre-launch list you've built
• →[ ] Share on your social channels

A launch isn't the end — it's the beginning of the data collection phase. Every week after launch, you'll learn something that makes the store better.